XY: The Kalos Saga
by Le Crimson Lotus
Summary: AU. What if Ash moved to Kalos before he started his Pokémon journey? As he travels in the region in order to win 8 badges, he must also foil the schemes of a villainous organization with the help of his friends. Will he be able to overcome these obstacles and make it to the Pokémon league? And if he does, will he be able to become the Champion of Kalos despite the odds?
1. Kalos, Where the Journey Begins!

**This is an idea that just popped in my head the other day. Hope you enjoy this fanfic.**

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><p>Welcome to the Kalos region, a region known for its beautiful French-like theme and the many exotic Pokémon that live in it. The fact that many different kinds of Pokémon inhabit this region is a reason enough for many Trainers to travel to it, while other people mainly come for sightseeing.<p>

But the story begins in a small town located in the southern side of the region. The town's name is Vaniville, and in a modest-looking house, a boy who is ten years of age is about to begin his very first journey with Pokémon.

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><p><strong>Kalos, Where the Journey Begins!<strong>

"Is it really okay to visit our new neighbors at this time of the day, Calem?" A girl with honey brown hair and blue eyes asked her friend.

Her friend Calem, was a boy with shoulder length brown hair and gray eyes. He rolled his eyes at what she said; he knew that his friend had always been a worrywart. "Serena, it's 10:00 AM," He pointed out to her. "It's not that early. Besides, Trevor and the others are waiting for us in Aquacorde Town."

"What if he's still asleep?"

"Seriously?" He asked her disbelievingly. "Who sleeps until this time?"

"Um, many people?" She replied with a roll of her own eyes. "Besides, you sleep until 12:00 PM sometimes. So, why are you berating the new kid if you're oversleeping yourself?" She asked him with a frown.

He shrugged it off. "At any rate, we're here."

Serena sighed; she would always get annoyed of him shrugging off his own flaws, especially if he shared them with someone else. But she couldn't help it, though, because that what makes him Calem.

The brown-haired boy rang the bell of the new kid's house. After few seconds, a Pokémon opened the door. The Pokémon was pink and looked like a mime. It blinked its eyes at them. The girl smiled at the Pokémon while the boy frowned.

"Hold on; Professor Sycamore said that the new kid isn't a Trainer yet," He deduced. "How come he has a Mr. Mime if he's not a Trainer yet?"

Serena shook her head and face-palmed. "That's probably not his, idiot."

"Oh, okay," He then smiled at the Pokémon. "Say Mr. Mime, can we come in? We want to introduce ourselves to your owner."

The pink Pokémon smiled and nodded before letting them in. When they entered, a woman with brown hair and matching eyes greeted them with a smile.

"Hello. You must be our neighbors."

The girl smiled politely and nodded. "Yeah. I'm Serena, and this is my friend Calem."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

The woman kept her smile. "Well, aren't you both sweet?" She asked. "I'm sure you and my son will get along very well," She then made a small gasp as she realized something. "Oh! Pardon me for not introducing myself. My name is Delia Ketchum. My son and I have just moved from Pallet Town in the Kanto region."

Serena blinked her eyes at the mention of that town. "Pallet Town? Isn't that where Professor Oak is living?"

"Professor Oak?" Calem inquired.

Delia nodded at her. "Yes indeed."

"Wait, who's Professor Oak again?"

The honey-haired girl frowned. "Professor Sycamore mentioned him before," She told him. "He said that he's a renowned Professor known for his amazing researches on Pokémon."

"That's right," The woman nodded at her. "My son admires him a lot, but then again, who doesn't?"

"Speaking of your son, when can we meet him?" Calem asked.

Delia smiled sheepishly at the young children. "I'm sorry but he doesn't usually wake up at this time."

"Oh, that's okay. We'll come back at a later time." Serena said.

"Are you kidding me?" The brown-haired boy asked in disbelief. "The others are waiting for us in Aquacorde Town!"

The honey-haired girl shot her friend a glare while the woman titled her head in confusion.

"Um, may I ask what do you mean by that?"

"You see, Professor Sycamore knew about you and your son's arrival today," He began explaining. "So, he wanted to give him a Pokémon along with us."

Delia's eyes immediately lit up. "Those are marvelous news!" She exclaimed. "I'm sure he's going to be very thrilled!" She turned Mr. Mime. "Mimey, go and wake Ash up."

The Mr. Mime nicknamed Mimey nodded before heading upstairs. When Serena heard that name, she put her hand under her chin in thought.

_Ash? Could it be the boy I've met few years back? _She wondered. _Mrs. Ketchum said that they were living in Pallet Town, so there's a high possibility that it's him. _Her eyes narrowed.

* * *

><p>Upstairs, the boy known as Ash was sleeping soundly in his bed. Mimey opened up the door, entered the room and shook up the sleeping boy. The boy groggily murmured something before turning to the other side. The Barrier Pokémon frowned before shaking him even harder than before.<p>

"Just… give me… five more minutes, Mom…"

Mimey just sighed and shook its head. _"I guess I have no choice then." _It said before its eyes glowed light blue; an aura of similar color surrounded the boy's body as he was slowly levitated from his bed. Surprisingly though, he didn't feel anything. The aura suddenly disappeared, and he fell on his bed with a thud.

… And the house shook with a scream of "AAAAAHHHHHH!"

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><p>Downstairs, Serena and Calem were treated to chocolate cookies and milk by Delia, and when they both heard the scream, they were naturally startled, with Calem almost choking on a chocolate cookie.<p>

Delia merely smiled. "This is just like every day."

"What the heck was that anyway?" The brown-haired boy asked after drinking his milk.

"That's Mimey's wake-up call." The brown-haired woman replied sweetly.

The gray-eyed boy sank in his seat with a frown. _I sure don't want to be waken up by that Pokémon…_

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><p>"Darn it, Mimey! Stop doing that!" Ash complained to the Barrier Pokémon.<p>

The Mr. Mime nicknamed Mimey just giggled before going out of the room. Ash yawned again before getting off his bed. He had short black hair and brown eyes. He was a little bit shorter than boys at his age.

"Ash! Get ready quick and come introduce yourself to your soon-to-be friends!" Came his mother's shout from downstairs.

"Okay!" He shouted back unenthusiastically before heading to his closet.

* * *

><p>After dressing up, the boy headed downstairs to see two children about his age sitting on the couch and chatting with his mother.<p>

"Good morning." He greeted.

"Good morning, Ash," His mother greeted back with a smile. "These two are our new neighbors, Serena and Calem."

"Nice to meet you." He told them with a smile.

"Nice to meet you too." The girl told him with her eyes glimmering. _So… he really is that boy I've met few years ago! _A small blush appeared on her face. _I guess this is simply fate, huh?_

"Are you sick or something?" The black-haired boy inquired in worry. "Your face turned red all of a sudden."

"Huh?" She asked before shaking her head rapidly and smiling; the blush disappearing from her face. "Not at all. I'm fine."

The other boy frowned as he looked at his friend. Is Serena starting to have a crush on this new kid? But they just met each other, right? Besides, he looks dense for thinking that her face was red because she was sick.

"Ash, Serena and Calem have something important to tell you."

He blinked his eyes as he turned towards the two. "What is it?"

"Professor Sycamore, the local Professor of the region knew about your arrival beforehand," She started explaining. "So, he thought about giving you a Pokémon along with us."

The black-haired boy's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Could this mean that he will finally start his very Pokémon journey? "Are… are you serious?"

Serena nodded at him happily. "Definitely."

His eyes glimmered before he jumped up and down happily. "Yay! I'll finally get my very first Pokémon! Woohoo!"

The girl couldn't help but giggle at the happy boy while the other boy couldn't help but feel annoyed.

_This kid is so childish…_

"Anyway, we'll be waiting for you in Aquacorde Town," Serena stated before standing up. "Once you get out of the town's gate, you'll see Aquacorde Town in front of you immediately."

This surprised the new kid in town. "Wow, I didn't know they were this close to each other."

"Route 1 actually connects the two towns to each other," Calem stated. "It's a very short route, anyway."

"Well, honey, I better prepare some breakfast for you," Delia told her son sweetly. "You're going to need all of the energy you can have."

"Thanks, Mom."

* * *

><p>Once he arrived in Aquacorde Town, he was surprised at the scenery there. Despite it being a small town, it was beautiful, with fountains scattered around the town. Now the 'aqua' part of the town's name made sense to him.<p>

"Ash! Over here!"

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard that familiar, feminine voice. He turned his head to the left to see Serena and Calem sitting around a table with three other kids. One of them was chubby, had black hair and matching eyes and was the tallest one out of them all; another one was short and had ginger red hair and gray eyes and the third one was a girl with brown hair and green eyes.

Ash walked to the group and sat with them, smiling at the other three. "I'm Ash Ketchum. I used to live in Pallet Town but I moved to Vaniville Town yesterday," He told them. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Tierno and I love to dance!" The chubby boy announced happily.

Ash blinked his eyes before tilting his head. "What does that have to do with Pokémon?"

"I'm teaching my dancing moves to my partner now!" He replied. "My dream is to create a dancing team with Pokémon and find Pokémon with amazing moves!"

The black-haired boy smiled, understanding Tierno more than before. "I get it. Good luck with that!" He said with a grin.

"I'm Shauna and I aspire to be a Pokémon Performer!" The brown-haired girl stated before clutching her hands together. "One day, I'm going to become the Kalos Queen like Aria!"

The black-haired boy tilted his head in confusion. "What's a Pokémon Performer?" He asked.

"What? You don't know?" Calem asked him in a mocking tone.

While Ash was oblivious to that tone, Serena was aware of it and frowned at the brown-haired boy.

"Of course he doesn't know, Calem," She told him while still maintaining her frown. "He just moved in here."

"Well, a Pokémon Performer is a Trainer who participates in a Pokémon Showcase," Shauna began explaining. "Pokémon Showcases are performance tournaments. They're divided into two sections: The Theme Performance and the General Free-Style Performance," She continued explaining. "The Theme Performance section can include several activities, and each activity depends on the specific showcase tournament. The General Free-Style has the Trainer and their Pokémon perform together on stage, making full use of the Pokémon's capabilities."

"There are also several classes in Pokémon Showcases, with the lowest being the Rookie Class," Serena continued in place of Shauna. "The highest is the Master Class, and the person who wins a showcase of that level will be crowned as the Kalos Queen."

"Awesome!" The black-haired boy exclaimed. "Maybe I'll enter a showcase one day and experience them myself!"

Following his remark, the brown-haired boy burst out laughing, and the honey-haired girl became irritated… again. "Yup. I'm sure they're gonna love your performance… _Ashley_."

"What did you just call me?!" Ash shouted in anger.

The green-eyed girl held up her hands. "What Calem is trying to say is only girls are allowed to enter Pokémon Showcases."

"But it was supposed to be obvious since Serena did mention that the winner of a Master Class showcase will be crowned as the Kalos QUEEN," Calem stated. "Surely you won't expect a guy to be named a queen, huh, _Ashley_?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"S-sorry about Calem, Ash," The orange-haired boy interrupted before the two could argue even more. "Calem likes to get under people's skin."

The only response the orange-head got from the brown-head was a mere shrug, and unlike Ash, the ginger-head actually ignored the brown-head.

"And you are?"

"Oh! Pardon me for not introducing myself," The yet-to-be-named boy bowed his head. "I'm Trevor, and I want to meet every Pokémon in Kalos."

"Is that so?" Ash asked. "And what do you plan on doing after that?"

He scowled as he folded his arms on his chest. Indeed, what was he going to do after that? He hasn't really thought about it. "I'm not sure, but maybe I'll become one of Professor Sycamore's assistant."

"Fair enough for me." The black-haired boy nodded.

"Since we've all introduced ourselves, let me introduce to you your partners!" Trevor declared before opening his bag and taking out three red and white balls. "These Poké Balls contain the starter Pokémon that Professor Sycamore entrusted me to give you," He put two of them on the table and held one in his hand. "First is Chespin!" He pressed the button on the ball and it opened, releasing a white flash of light that formed into a green Pokémon.

Ash's eyes glimmered at the sight of this Pokémon. He had never seen a Pokémon like this in his entire life, but that is to be expected as this Pokémon is found exclusively in the Kalos region. "Wow! Is this a Grass-type Pokémon?"

"Yes it is," The ginger-haired boy replied before taking another Poké Ball and releasing the Pokémon from it, revealing a yellow, fox-like Pokémon. "And this is Fennekin, and it's a Fire-type Pokémon."

"Awesome!" The black-haired boy exclaimed. "There are so many cool Pokémon here in Kalos!"

"And last but not least…" He opened the last Poké Ball that released a blue, frog-like Pokémon. "Froakie, the Water-type Pokémon!"

The new kid eyed the Pokémon before him with huge, glimmering eyes. He then put his hand under his chin, wondering which one of these three he'll choose as his very first Pokémon partner. _Before I moved here in Kalos, I've wanted to choose Squirtle as my starter Pokémon, _He then laid his eyes on the Water-type Froakie, which was closing its eyes. _Squirtle and Froakie are both Water-type Pokémon, so I guess I'll go with this guy then. _He proceeded to pick up the frog-like Pokémon. "I've decided to choose Froakie as my starter!"

"My, have we no manners?" Calem asked in a mocking tone. "Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'Ladies First'?"

All what Ash did was frown at the brown-haired boy. Serena just sighed and shook her head. "Never mind him, Ash," She said before picking up the yellow fox-like Pokémon, Fennekin. "As for me, I'm choosing this cutie, Fennekin!"

The fox-like Pokémon wiggled its tail in happiness before it began licking its new Trainer's face, causing her to giggle. "That tickles!" She chuckled.

Calem sighed before picking up Chespin. "I guess that leaves me with no choice but to have Chespin," He then eyed Ash evilly, which the latter seemed to have missed. _But at least my starter has a type advantage over Ash's._

"I have other things for you as well," Trevor opened took out three red devices from his backpack and handed one to each of them. "This is called a Pokédex. It can show you basic information regarding certain Pokémon found here in Kalos. However, it can also show personal information regarding a certain Pokémon, such as their gender and ability."

"Awesome!" The brown-eyed boy exclaimed. "Thanks, Trevor!"

The shorter boy nodded before taking out thirty Poké Balls from his bag, giving ten to each of them. "Here. Use these for catching Pokémon."

Ash grinned. "Finally! I'm a Pokémon Trainer!" He shouted.

Calem only smirked before turning to Ash. "How about we have our first Pokémon battle?"

The black-haired boy turned to him before frowning. He knew that he wanted to challenge him so he could kick his butt in their first battle seeing as how his Pokémon had a type advantage against Froakie. Nonetheless, the black-haired boy smirked and nodded at the brown-haired boy.

"Yeah. Let's battle, Calem!"

**TBC…**

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><p><strong>Next up: Ash vs Calem! Who will win? Also, another event will occur that you'll know about in the next chapter.<strong>

**I've already finished Chapter 2, but I still didn't edit it.  
><strong>

**I may not be able to update for a while because I'm going to travel with my family.**

**Also, I feel like I've lost interest in my other Pokemon story. Can someone adopt it?**

**I know, I know. You're all gonna say 'why did you make Calem so OOC?' Well, in the games he didn't have much of a personality, whether if he was the playable character or the NPC. As the NPC, he's shown as a kind, friendly and competitive rival; the latter being hardly a flaw. So, I made him into a jerk in my story. Deal with it.**

**The characters are wearing their clothes from the games. As for Ash, he's wearing his Kalos clothes.**

**Thanks for reading. Leave a review if you like! I don't mind constructive criticism, but no flames, please.**


	2. First Battle, First Catch

**Thanks for everyone who reviewed, followed and added to their favorites. I really appreciate it. Hope you guys continue your support.**

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><p>Previously in this story, the protagonist Ash Ketchum, who has just moved in Kalos received his starter Pokémon, a Froakie. Soon afterwards, however, he was challenged by his new neighbor, Calem to a Pokémon battle. Will he be able to defeat his soon-to-be rival and win his very first Pokémon battle?<p>

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><p><strong>First Battle, First Catch<br>**

The two boys stood on opposite sides while facing each other; Ash was standing on the right side and Calem was standing on the left. Trevor decided to become the referee of the battle.

"This is a one-on-one battle between Calem and Ash from Vaniville Town," The ginger-head announced. "Are you both ready?"

The two nodded in determination before Trevor raised his hand, declaring the beginning of the battle.

"Chespin, use Pin Missile!"

The head of the Spiny Nut Pokémon glowed green before it shot green needle-like projectiles from it.

"Counter with Bubble!"

The Bubble Frog Pokémon opened its mouth and released a flurry of light-blue bubbles that collided with Chespin's Pin Missiles; the result of the collision was a small explosion that caused black smoke to form temporarily in the air.

The brown-haired boy smirked. "Ho, not bad but not good enough."

The black-haired boy only grinned back at his rival. "I'll do more than good," He stated before raising his hand and pointing his finger at Chespin. "Froakie, use Quick Attack!"

Froakie dashed at high speed towards Chespin and rammed its body at the latter, pushing it by few centimeters.

"Vine Whip!"

The Grass-type Pokémon quickly released two green vines from its head and lashed them on the Water-type Pokémon.

"Now use Leech Seed!"

The Spiny Nut Pokémon shot a brown seed at the Bubble Frog Pokémon; the seed attached itself on Froakie's body by sprouting small, green vines that absorbed Froakie's energy.

"Froakie!" Ash called his Pokémon's name frantically before gritting his teeth. _If I recall correctly, Leech Seed absorbs the target Pokémon's energy and sends it to the user, _He gritted his teeth even more. _I have to free Froakie and fast!_

Calem smirked again. "Well? What are you gonna do now, _Ashley_?" He asked in an obvious mocking tone. "Are you gonna watch helplessly as your Pokémon's energy is being sucked by Chespin's Leech Seed?"

Ash had to admit; he hated the tone of Calem. It reminded him of _that guy, _and it annoyed him to no end. Still, he also had to admit that the brown-head is right; if he wanted to win, he'd have to save Froakie from the Leech Seed.

"Froakie, remove the Leech Seed with Pound!"

Froakie's hand glowed white as it smacked on the seed, freeing itself from it. After it freed itself, the Bubble Frog Pokémon started panting.

The brown-haired smirked again. "This battle has taken its toll," He stated. "Your Pokémon can't fight any longer. Chespin, use Vine Whip to finish Froakie off!"

The green Pokémon sprouted vines from both sides of its head to lash at the blue Pokémon.

"Grab the Vine Whip, Froakie!"

The frog-like Pokémon captured both vines with its hands, surprising the gray-eyed boy. "What?"

"Now pull it towards you and use Pound!"

Froakie did what its Trainer told it to do, and as Chespin got closer, it smacked its glowing white hand on Chespin's head. The hedgehog-like Pokémon put both of its hands on its head, feeling somewhat dizzy.

"Now, Froakie! Use Quick Attack!"

"Vine Whip!"

Just as Froakie dashed towards its opponent, the latter shook its head and released its vines, lashing them at the incoming Pokémon and knocking it unconscious.

Ash gasped. "Froakie!" He then ran towards his Pokémon.

"Froakie is unable to battle and Chespin wins!" Trevor announced. "Therefore, the winner of this battle is Calem!"

"Yay! I've won my first battle!" The brown-haired boy jumped up and down excitedly. His Pokémon ran towards him and he knelt down to pet it on its head. "I'm glad I've got you as my starter, Chespin."

Serena looked in worry at the black-haired boy, who was stroking his Pokémon's body. She then walked to him and knelt down. "Is Froakie alright?"

Ash looked at her and smiled. "Yeah. It's gonna be alright."

A big hand was put on the new kid's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ash," Tierno assured. "This is just the beginning."

"Yeah. For your first battle, you did pretty well." Trevor praised with a smile.

The brown-eyed boy smiled back, feeling even more relieved than before. "Thanks, you guys."

"Hey, Ash."

Said boy raised his head to look at his rival. The other boy tossed him a purple bottle, which he caught. He looked at it while blinking his eyes. "What's this?"

Calem rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to smack his face with his palm. Doesn't this kid know anything at all? "This is a Potion. Spray it on Froakie to heal its wounds."

The new kid smiled widely before proceeding to do what the other boy told him. Slowly, the Bubble Frog Pokémon's bruises disappeared. Said Pokémon slowly opened its eyes and looked at its Trainer, who was smiling at it.

"How are you feeling, buddy?"

The blue Pokémon slowly stood up and looked at its Trainer before nodding and smiling. Ash smiled back, relieved that his Pokémon is okay. Froakie's Trainer then turned to Chespin's Trainer. "Thanks, Calem."

The other boy shrugged. "Don't mention it."

The honey-haired girl just smiled at them; even though Calem can be a jerk most of the time, he can also be nice at times. Guess people do have two sides to them… just like the moon.

She shivered at that thought. What made her have this dark thought about people anyway? Sure, her friend is a jerk but he's not a bad person. So, why did she have this thought? Unless it was about someone else…

She shook her head, pushing away these dark thoughts from her head. She then turned to her friends and saw both of them returning their Pokémon to their Poké Balls.

"Well, I better head home and show Mom my Froakie."

"I'm going to train my Chespin and probably catch myself a Pokémon."

"Trevs and I will be heading to Santalune City." The dancer stated.

The black-haired boy blinked his eyes. "Santalune City?"

"It's the next city," The ginger-head replied. "According to the map, a Pokémon Gym is located there."

"A Pokémon Gym, huh?" Ash asked before grinning. "When I get there, I'm gonna battle the Gym Leader and win my very first Gym Badge."

"But first, you must sign up for the Kalos Pokémon League." The brown-head said.

"Yeah, I almost forgot about that." He put his hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly.

Calem just rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm going to Route 2. See you later." He waved his hand before walking away.

* * *

><p>Near the gates of Aquacorde Town, the black-haired boy, who was about to leave was stopped by a feminine voice. "Ash!"<p>

Said boy turned around to see a honey-haired girl running towards him. He smiled at her. "Serena. What's up?"

"Nothing…" She replied, fiddling with her index fingers. "I was wondering if we could walk back together to Vaniville Town."

"Sure, no problem."

For about five minutes, the two walked in silence. While Ash was unaffected by this, Serena found it to be awkward. Surprisingly though, it was Ash who decided to break the silence.

"Why is Calem acting like a jerk towards me?" He asked with a frown.

"Don't mind him, Ash," She told him assuredly. "He always acts like that around people he just met, but as time goes by and he gets used to them, he becomes nice to them."

"So he's a tsundere?"

That comment from the new kid in town made the blue-eyed girl burst into a laugh. Tsundere? She never thought of Calem like that! But now that she thinks about it, Ash may have been right. "Well, maybe." She then giggled.

"You know, his attitude kinda reminds of a former childhood friend of mine."

She raised an eyebrow at this. "Really?"

He nodded. "His name is Gary, and he and I used to be best friends," He then frowned. "But as time went by, he became a jerk and started bullying me."

She showed a sad expression at this. "Why did he become a bully?"

"I don't know."

The silence came back again. As they reached Vaniville Town, Serena remembered what she was going to tell Ash. "Hey, Ash… do you remember me?"

He looked at her, confusion evident on his face. Remember her? Did he meet her before? "What do you mean?"

She frowned sadly at him. "Um, few years back, I went to Professor Oak's Summer Camp."

He smiled. "Yes! I remember going there!"

Her eyes lit up. "Really? So, do you remember meeting me there?"

He folded his arms as he tried to remember, but no matter how many times he worked out his brain, he can't seem to remember ever meeting Serena in Professor Oak's Summer Camp few years ago. He smiled in embarrassment as he scratched his head. "Sorry, Serena. I don't remember ever meeting you."

She sighed and looked down in disappointment. "I see…" But then she made a small smile. "You also told me to 'never give up until the end'."

He chuckled. "I said that? I can't believe I've forgotten that." He scratched the back of his head while smiling sheepishly.

Her smile grew. "That's okay."

"Hey, Serena?"

"Yeah, Ash?"

"I was wondering… would you like to accompany me on my journey through Kalos?"

Her cheeks flushed when he asked her that, and then he blinked his eyes when he noticed that flush. He frowned. "Serena, you're red again. Are you sure you're not sick or anything?"

She rapidly shook her head, the flush disappearing from her face. "N-no, I'm not sick at all, Ash. And, yes! I would like to go with you on your journey!"

His face brightened up. "Really?"

She nodded happily. "Yeah!"

He grinned at her. "Thanks, Serena!"

* * *

><p>"Mom, I'm back!" The honey-haired girl said upon entering her house.<p>

Her mother, a woman with brown hair greeted her with a smile. "Welcome back, Serena. Which Pokémon did you choose as your starter?"

"This. Come out, Fennekin!" Serena threw the red and white ball up; it opened and revealed the yellow, fox-like Pokémon. She knelt down to pick it up. "Mom, say hello to Fennekin. Fennekin, this is my Mom."

The Fox Pokémon gave a small, happy growl at the mother, as if greeting her. Serena's mother chuckled before petting Fennekin on its head. "Nice to meet you, Fennekin."

"Mom, I'm going on a Pokémon journey with our new neighbor, Ash."

Her mother blinked but then smiled. "Is that so?" She asked. "His mother visited a while ago, and she seemed really nice."

Serena nodded. "She is, and Ash is also really nice," She then blushed. "He's the one who asked me if I can accompany him on his journey."

Her mother smiled wryly, then a somewhat evil grin appeared on her face. "Really? Do I smell a crush here?"

"H-huh?!" The girl spluttered; her face turning into a bright shade of red. "Mom! It's not like that!"

Her mother burst into a laugh. "I'm just teasing you, kiddo!" She continued laughing.

The honey-haired girl puffed her cheeks; her face was still red, but now it's red because of annoyance. "He's… somewhat dense."

Her mother now chuckled in amusement. "Really?"

Serena sighed. "Anyway, I need to prepare for my journey."

"There won't be a need for that, honey," The mother stated before going to the living room. When she returned, she was seen holding a pink, small backpack in her hands. "I knew you'd be going on a journey so I've prepared everything for you."

Serena's eyes lit up as she smiled. "Thanks, Mom!" She took the bag and wore it on her back.

The doorbell of her house suddenly rang; Serena blinked her eyes. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ash!"

The honey-haired girl smiled. "The door's open, Ash!" She shouted. "You can come in!"

He opened the door to Serena's house and entered. He saw the girl's mother and bowed his head. "Hello. My name's Ash and I've just moved in from Pallet Town."

The woman smiled at him. "Welcome, Ash," She greeted him. "I'm Grace, and I'm Serena's mother. I heard from my daughter that you two will be travelling together."

He nodded at her. "Yeah. I hope you don't mind."

She shook her head. "Not at all. I'm glad someone will be accompanying Serena on her journey."

"I promise you I'll take good care of Serena."

The girl blushed a new shade of red while her mother smiled wryly. It was just like what her daughter said about the boy: He's dense.

* * *

><p>Moments before they left Vaniville Town, they heard a woman calling Ash's name. That woman was of course Delia. They both turned back to look at her.<p>

"Mom, is something the matter?"

"Yes," She took out a yellow and blue device and handed it to her son. "This is a Town Map. Use it to know the locations of cities and towns here in Kalos."

"Thanks, Mom." He said with a smile.

"Take care of yourselves!"

"We will! Bye Mom!"

They waved goodbye to each other as the two kids departed. Ash's mother put her hand on her chest before she was approached by Grace.

"It's a strange feeling, you know?"

Delia turned back. "Huh?"

"Seeing my girl all grown up and going on her first Pokémon journey…" She smiled sadly. "It makes me have mixed feelings of happiness and sadness…"

Ash's mother blinked before smiling sheepishly. "Funny. That's what I've been thinking too."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She then chuckled. "I guess that's how mothers feel."

"Actually, that's how parents feel." Delia corrected the other woman.

"Maybe…" Her expression turned dark all of a sudden.

Delia didn't miss that expression. "Is something the matter?"

The other brunette shook her head and smiled. "It's nothing."

* * *

><p>After leaving Aquacorde Town, the two found themselves in Route 2. Unlike Route 1, this route wasn't short, and there were wild Pokémon that lived in this route.<p>

They heard a familiar voice commanding a Pokémon. "Fletchling, use Quick Attack!"

A small robin-like Pokémon dove at high speed towards its opponent, which was a brown raccoon-like Pokémon. The opposing Pokémon didn't have enough time to dodge and was hit by the flying Pokémon. It fainted afterwards.

"Zigzagoon!" Its Trainer called out to it.

"Zigzagoon is unable to battle and Fletchling wins!" Shauna, who was acting as the referee announced. "Therefore, the winner of this battle is Calem!"

Fletchling perched on the arm of its Trainer happily; the brown-haired boy smiled at it. "Good job, Fletchling."

Zigzagoon's Trainer, who was a short boy with brown hair and matching eyes walked to Calem while holding his fallen Pokémon. "Thanks for the battle. I've really enjoyed it."

The other boy nodded. "Yeah, me too. Let's battle again, Austin."

"Sure," The boy named Austin shook hands with his opponent. "Well, I better go and heal up my Pokémon. See you later, Calem." He said before running off.

"So you can be nice sometimes, huh?" A familiar voice asked in a mocking tone.

The brown-haired boy merely frowned before turning to the one who asked that question. "I did give you a Potion to heal your Froakie, didn't I?"

The raven-haired boy raised his hands in defense. "Right, right. Can't deny that," He chuckled nervously. "So, what kind of Pokémon is that?" He took out his Pokédex.

**"Fletchling, the Tiny Robin Pokémon. These friendly Pokémon send signals to one another with beautiful chirps and tail-feather movements."**

"Wow. It's so cute," Ash stated before stroking the small Pokémon's head gently, to which the latter chirped in happiness. The boy chuckled. "It does have a beautiful sound."

Serena blinked as she noticed something missing. "Where are Tierno and Trevor?"

"They went ahead of us." Shauna replied.

"Oh, I see." The taller girl stated.

"So Ash, have you caught a Pokémon yet?" Calem asked.

The raven-haired boy shook his head. "No," Then suddenly he and the others heard some rustling in the grass. A black worm-like Pokémon appeared. "Whoa! Who's that Pokémon?" He took out his Pokédex once more.

**"Scatterbug, the Scatterdust Pokémon. When under attack from bird Pokémon, it spews a poisonous black powder that causes paralysis on contact."**

"Huh. The Pokédex was wrong on describing Scatterbug's Stun Spore attack," Ash's rival proclaimed while putting his hand under his chin. "Stun Spore is yellow, not black."

Ash and the two girls ignored the comment as the boy took out a red and white Poké Ball; a determined look was on his face. "I'm going to catch it!"

The honey-haired girl smiled. "Good luck, Ash."

"Poké Ball, go!" He threw the ball at the Scatterdust Pokémon, it opened and a red beam shot out from it, engulfing the targeted Pokémon before sucking it inside.

The other boy nearly face-palmed at what Ash did. "You idiot!" He shouted angrily. "That's not how you catch a Pokémon!"

"Huh? Then how?"

Before Calem could reply, the ball opened, revealing Scatterbug, who looked angry.

"You're supposed to weaken the Pokémon first by using your own Pokémon and then catch it!" The brown-haired boy exclaimed.

"Oh, okay then," He took out a red and white ball. "Froakie, I choose you!" He threw the ball and it opened, revealing the blue frog-like Pokémon. "Use Bubble!"

The frog-like Pokémon shot a flurry of bubbles from its mouth that landed a direct hit on the worm-like Pokémon. The now agitated Pokémon shook its body and released a yellow spore at Froakie.

"See? I told you it's yellow!" The gray-eyed boy exclaimed.

"Froakie, move the Stun Spore away with Bubble!"

Once more, Froakie released a flurry of bubbles from its mouth that blew the spore away. What took everyone by surprise was the charging Bug-type that rammed its small body on Froakie's, pushing it away a little. Ash grinned at the little bug.

"A feisty Pokémon, eh?" His grin grew larger. "That's what I like in a Pokémon! Froakie, use Quick Attack!"

Froakie quickly charged at Scatterbug and slammed its body at it, knocking it down. Ash quickly pulled out another empty ball and threw it. "Go, Poké Ball!" The ball opened and sucked the bug Pokémon inside. It shook once, twice, thrice but then it opened. The brown-eyed boy gritted his teeth in frustration. "So persistent! Use Bubble!"

The Bubble Frog Pokémon shot small, light blue bubbles from its mouth, but the Scatterdust Pokémon jumped away from them. It then released a silky thread from its mouth that wrapped around Froakie and rendered it unable to move properly. As the frog-like Pokémon was struggling to rid itself of the thread, the worm-like Pokémon slammed its body on Froakie.

Calem whistled in amazement. "Man, this Pokémon is so feisty…"

Froakie had finally managed to free itself from the thread. It then formed a blue ball of water in its hands. This surprised Ash and the others.

"What's that?" Its Trainer asked.

"I think Froakie had just learned Water Pulse." Calem stated with a smile.

Ash grinned. "Alright Froakie, use Water Pulse!"

The Bubble Frog Pokémon then shot the water ball it formed at its opponent, who dodged.

"Use Water Pulse again!"

This time, however Froakie managed to land a direct hit on Scatterbug with the ball of water it made. Its Trainer then took another ball and threw it at the fallen Pokémon. It engulfed the Pokémon in a red light before sucking it inside. It moved once, twice, thrice and then stopped with a click. The now happy Trainer walked to the ball, picked it up and raised it up. "Yes! I've caught my first Pokémon!"

"Congratulations, Ash!" Serena told him while smiling happily.

"You and Scatterbug are gonna be great partners!" Shauna exclaimed, equally happy.

"I must admit, this Scatterbug is really something else," Ash's rival stated with a smile. "Looks like Chespin and Fletchling are gonna have some fierce competition."

Ash grinned. "Looks like it."

**TBC…**

* * *

><p><strong>Next up: Ash, Serena, Calem and Shauna encounter a Trainer who claims to be the Bug Queen of Santalune Forest. How will things turn out for them?<strong>

**I must admit that the mother scene between Delia and Grace was inspired by the father scene between Norman and Wally's father in ORAS after the player defeats their father and departs for Mauville City with Wally.**

**There is something that I will do with the story that might not please some of you, so I hope you're prepared.**

**Thanks for reading. Please review!**


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